Five Northeast Indiana economic development organizations have announced a virtual ED Forum will take place on Wednesday, November 10 from 9:00 to 11:00 a.m. via Zoom.

Stakeholders across the region are encouraged to register and join via Zoom to hear brief presentations from each county LEDO, as well as special guest speakers who will cover the topic of Industry 4.0. Speakers will include economic developers from Dekalb, LaGrange, Noble, Steuben, and Whitley Counties.

Joshua Meinika, an Industry 4.0 project manager and industrial technology manager at Bosch in Albion, IN, will present information to help define what Industry 4.0 means for both the workplace and workforce across the region and share examples of how the Albion employer is utilizing the Internet of Things (IoT).

The forum is made possible by NIPSCO, Northeast Indiana Regional Partnership, AEP, and Freedom Academy.

About Joshua Meinika

Joshua Meinika began his career at Robert Bosch Automotive Motor Systems in Northeast Indiana in 1998 when, at 19 years of age, he worked as a machine operator. He was a participant in the company’s first Maintenance Apprenticeship program and has risen through the ranks holding positions including electrician, controls engineer, maintenance supervisor, and operations manager. Meinika is now the company’s industrial technology manager, responsible for coordinating the Bosch Production System locally and within the global community, Industry 4.0 project management, data analytics project management, information technology in manufacturing, and he serves as Bosch’s International and Production Network local contact.